Automatic means for controlling electrically-heated devices



A. F. BROWN AND L. B. BURCK. AUTOMATIC MEANS FORECONTROLLINGELECTRICALLY HEATED DEVICES. "f

v I APPLICATION FILED JAN. I6, 1918. I

1 422 735 Patented J uly 1 1;,1'922.

ATTORNEY WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT FRANKLIN BROWN, or LOS ANGELES, AND LAWRENCE BURROUGHS 311301;,

01? PASADENA. CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRICALLY-HEATED DEVICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 16, 1918. Serial No. 212,091.

To all whom it may concern? Be it known that We, ALBERT FRANKLIN BROWN,a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the countyof Los Angeles and States of California, and

Means for ControllingElectrically Heated f Devices;

Our invention relates to the automatic control of such heat Wherever andin any manner in which it may be used, in any article, machine, ordevice, using, generating or storing heat generated by electricity,wherein it is desirable or necessary to maintain a uniform temperatureof any degree or intensity desired. j

We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in'which our invention is applied to an ordinary electric fiatiron, in which drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section of an iron showingour device attached to same; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same ironshowing our device attached as appears from the exterior; Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section showing our device asapp-lied to a flat iron, a-

portion of the casting being broken away, and Fig. 4 isa detail view,chiefly in vertical section, showing the mounting of the contactelements.

In carrying outthe invention, we employ a bodyportion or casing 10,which is connected in any suitable manner with the handle 12 of usualconstruction. The heavy base portion is designated 14, and is providedwith a chamber 15 in which is mounted a bar 16 of aluminum or othersuitable metal, this bar being secured in position by a'screw 17 Theopposite-end of the bar is connected by means of a screw 18 with a block19, this element 19 serving to mount an adjustable contact member orscrew 20, insulated from element 19.

Within the casing 10 is a body portion 23 of metal constituting aheating unit, and below the latter is the resistance element 25 mountedbetween strips 26 and 27'of mica, or the like. A heavy insulating strip28 is mounted on the inner Wall of the rear end of the casing, andanother similar strip 30 mounted opposite the strip 28 on the outside ofthe casinga threaded pin or screw 31 passing through the casing andthrough members 28 and 30 and carrying nuts 32 and on the opposite endsthereof.

In electrical connection with the outer end of pin 31 is a conductingplate 35 adapted to Patented July .11, 192 2.

have contact with the complementary con- I tact member 20, and to bespaced from said contact member 20' upon the expansion of the bar 16,when the iron has been heated to the required degree. The breaking ofthe contact of course breaks the circuit for the heating element orresistance. v

A conducting strip 38 extends from one end of the heating element to thepin 31 and is in electrical connection therewith, and the other end ofthis heating element 25 is. in electrical connection with conductingstrip 39 leading to a terminal member 40 connected with a socket 41 inthe usual manner. The pin 31 is in electrical connection by material.

As stated, the application of our device is here shown as applied to anordinary electric fiat iron, but it may be used in any other electricheating apparatus by inserting the aluminum expansion bar into the partofthe electric apparatus which is heated, the controlling device beingthe same as set forth.

We ar aware that the expansion and contraction of aluminum or othermetal has been previously used in electric thermostat devices. Wetherefore do not claim gex' elusive discovery of that principle, but

We claim. The combination with a body to be maintained at asubstantially uniform temperatui'e, of an expansion bar mounted therein,

7 5 means of a strip 42 with terminal 43 also i connected with thesocket, and with conan adjustable contact element carried by thebreaking the circuit upon further expanbar, and a resilient contactelement with si0n.- reference to which the adjustable contact e]e-' mentis movable upon the expansion and 5' contraction of the bar, thecontacts main- Witnesses.

mining the circuit during the expansion and W. C. THOMAS, contraction ofthe bar to a given degree and B. B. BIXBY ALBERT FRANKLIN BROWN.LAWRENCE BURROUGHS BURCK.

